Chadwick Boseman talks James Brown role in Get on Up (with video)

Biopic directed by The Help's Tate Taylor

Chadwick Boseman wondered what he would do for an encore after playing baseball great Jackie Robinson in the movie 42.

One thing Boseman knew for sure: he wanted to avoid the challenge of portraying another legend, namely soul singer James Brown in the biopic Get On Up.

“I didn’t even want to read the script because I thought nobody should try that,” said the 32-year-old at an Augusta, Ga., hotel suite.

In the end, Get On Up director Tate Taylor made him an offer he couldn’t resist. So the actor took the leap of faith, and that’s why Boseman was attending the premiere of the film in James Brown’s hometown of Augusta.

The movie follows Brown’s poverty-stricken early days to his rise as the Godfather of Soul, which includes elaborate concert re-creations. The shows feature Boseman as Brown mimicking his classic dance moves while presenting some of the singer’s most popular tunes (Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag and Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, among them). The film also depicts Brown’s career ups and downs and his infamous 1988 run in with police when he was arrested for drugs and weapons offences.

Presenting the good and not-so-good sides of James Brown (he died in 2006) was one of the main attractions for Boseman, who discussed the role with Postmedia News.

Q: Were you anxious about tackling another iconic portrayal again?

A: Again is exactly how I felt. Like, ‘Oh, no, not again.’

Chadwick Boseman in a scene from Get On Up.

Q: Were you cajoled into doing the part?

A: As an actor, you try to prove you are perfect for a role. In this case, Tate (Taylor) was trying to persuade me that I could do it, and he finally did.

Q: How hard did you work on the James Brown stage moves?

A: I started in September with dance rehearsals and we started shooting in November. I was drilled on it. I was taught the vocabulary of movement.

Q: It sounds like you went to training camp. Did it feel like it?

A: Basically, I did feel like I was training in the same way I prepared for Jackie Robinson. It was the same bag, different gear.

Q: Had you ever taken dance lessons?

A: It was more like movement classes. I can keep a beat, but I’ve never done anything close to this level.

Chadwick Boseman

Q: Was that a double doing the James Brown splits on stage?

A: (Laughs) It wasn’t anybody else but me. I had to learn how to do it … sort of like a gymnastics move.

Q: How difficult was it to capture the offstage personality?

A: I was given lots of (interview) footage and some audio, but I was most interested in the outtakes when he wasn’t holding court. That’s when I learned about the real James Brown.

Q; Did you have other worries?

A: I was concerned about the wigs I had to wear and the wardrobe. I just wasn’t sure what it would look like, but I think it worked.

Q: What is your assessment of James Brown?

A: I think I was impressed with how fearless he was on stage and off. You couldn’t pin him down on his politics and he didn’t toe the line for anybody.

I am the Postmedia News movie writer and canada.com columnist. I prepare features and profiles stars of major motion pictures, including Robert Downey Jr., George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts... read more. Previously, I was a movie writer for Postmedia's National Post. I was at the George Lucas farm near San Francisco to report on the last Star Wars picture, Revenge of the Sith. I was in New York for the first preview of Peter Jackson's King Kong remake. And I have been up close and personal with high profile A-listers such as Cameron Diaz, Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston and many others. Before that, I was a sleep-deprived pop music writer and critic, a film writer and reviewer, and entertainment editor at the Toronto Sun. I also worked at CBC as a writer and producer, and was one of five writers selected to produce the script for the CBC's Canada For Asia live tsunami benefit broadcast in 2005.View author's profile